VE Day: a people's history

History Extra podcast

Immediate Media

History

4.3 • 4.5K Ratings

🗓️ 6 May 2025

⏱️ 27 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Nazi Germany had finally been defeated. And, for 24 hours, Britons could let their hair down and celebrate. But not everyone was in the mood to party. As 2025 marks the 80th anniversary, John Willis tells the story of VE Day via the experiences of ordinary Britons who lived through it. Here, in conversation with Spencer Mizen, he discusses what these testimonies reveal about the state of mind of a nation after six long years of war. (Ad) John Willis is the author of The People’s War: Unheard Voices: Life on the Battlefront and at Home in World War II (BBC Books, 2025). Buy it now from Waterstones: https://go.skimresources.com?id=71026X1535947&xcust=historyextra-social-histboty&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.waterstones.com%2Fbook%2Fthe-peoples-war%2Fjohn-willis%2F9781785949005. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	This week's History Extra podcast is sponsored by the Royal Mint.
0:03.6	On the 8th of May, 1945, after nearly six years of war, the nation came together to celebrate
0:09.2	victory in Europe Day, a moment of joy, reflection, and immense national pride. Now, to mark the 80th
0:15.6	anniversary of this historic event, the Royal Mint has released the VE Day 2025 UK coin. Perfect for military enthusiasts,
0:23.0	history fans and collectors. This 50P coin is available in gold, silver and brilliant
0:27.3	uncirculated editions. Find your special VE Day keepsake today at Royal Mint.com slash
0:33.0	VE-Heapen Day. This Sister Extra podcast is sponsored by Ancestry. On the 8th of May, 1945, peace was declared in Europe.
0:42.9	Some celebrated with riotous street parties. For others, it was a quieter moment of reflection,
0:48.4	tinged with loss. So what was your family's contribution? 80 years on, you can find out more about your relatives' experience in wartime with free access
0:57.2	this week on Ancestry.
0:59.0	Ancestry has millions of scanned and transcribed records from both World Wars.
1:03.8	These include military and civilian records from the World Wars, making it straightforward
1:07.6	to find out more about people's lives, jobs and experiences during both conflicts,
1:12.7	whether they were serving abroad or on the home front.
1:15.8	You can see the part your relatives played in the war effort.
1:19.3	Discover the contribution your family made with free access to global records from both World Wars
1:23.4	between the 5th and the 11th of May. start searching now at Ancestry.co.com.
1:28.8	The autopilot order.
1:30.4	Now, informal.
1:31.6	The strong urge felt at the ordering kiosk or drive-through that takes over the entire body and mind
1:36.5	and results in a person ordering a Big Mac without even having to think.
1:40.2	Related phrases.
	...

Transcript will be available on the free plan in 25 days. Upgrade to see the full transcript now.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Immediate Media, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Immediate Media and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.